Instructor needing instruction

[imaslackr]

Hi All,
My name is Adam, but people call me Legs. I recently moved to Newmarket, NH but I work at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. At SMFA I am the Welding Studio Manager. My job is basically to show people the ropes of how to work safely, and to maintain equipment - as well as budget/administrative duties.

Although I am not a professor, I am often in the position to teach students techniques involved in making steel sculptures. Metal shaping is definitely one area where I feel my skills are not up to par. I attended this school, and shaping was not taught well. I would like to end this poor tradition.

I am very interested in DIY style approaches or those involving using whatever you have around rather than saying "oh if I only had this tool everything would be better."

Also, this has always been a steel-based shop, so I never learned to work with aluminum. I need to do some research and be pointed in the right direction as to which alloys to start with.

Thanks everyone, any future help is much appreciated.

[crystallographic]

Hi Legs, and welcome to the group.

I can relate to your "condition" as I have met many in your shoes over the years I have been instructing metal work. We are in a new era of craftsmanship these days, and the old craftsmen are getting fewer and the information can be scarce. Lots of metal guys here, and some instructors, too.

For aluminum alloys that lend themselves to art, I highly recommend 3003, H14 hardness and 6061, T4 or T6 hardness. Fairly available from the sheetmetal cut-fold-bend-punch fab shops, and in .040 and .050 thickness, very workable, either hot or cold. These alloys weld, braze and solder. They also anodize and patinate well. Common wood working saws and routers mow them right down, also.

(I'll be doing two hands-on workshops in San Antonio, in late April, doing aluminum, steel, copper, etc. Using hand tools and air hammers.)

Wishing you success and joy,

[imaslackr]

Kent,
Thanks for your response!

I have been relying on youtube to learn from the older craftsmen. I am very thankful for everyone who takes the time to upload some wisdom. The only downside is I get sucked in and watch too many, when I should really be making scrap and learning from my mistakes.

I will get some quotes for material based on your recommendations, thank you for that.

[Peter Tommasini]

Hi Legs welcome to the forum
Peter

[bobadame]

It's a little sad to see the age of the craftsman slowly die off and be replaced by this new "maker culture". 3D print your dreams and schemes. Like billet parts on a hot rod, there's no soul in that. I digress. Good on ya for wanting to learn and teach. That's why we all come here. Welcome Adam.

[crystallographic]

Originally Posted by bobadame

It's a little sad to see the age of the craftsman slowly die off and be replaced by this new "maker culture". 3D print your dreams and schemes. Like billet parts on a hot rod, there's no soul in that. I digress. Good on ya for wanting to learn and teach. That's why we all come here. Welcome Adam.

Celebrate craftsmanship!
(not "machine operator" humans)
-- that guy Thomassini - now there is a craftsman! --- I'll bet with his "make it in one piece" skills, he could make a one-piece hollow sphere.
Forza!

[weldtoride]

Adam, welcome to the forum from Illinois!

I was in a similar position many years ago when I was teaching high school automotives and welding. There was a point where the Discovery Channels literally blossomed with motorcycle and hot rod shows featuring hand and custom fabrication, and my students were inspired. I was formally trained and experienced in metal forming, and collision repair, but suddenly had to learn shaping on my own, to share with my students.

Thankfully, the WWWeb was just blossoming at the same time, and I stumbled on Kent White's site, and also an early forum http://metalshapers.org/ that sadly is not nearly as active now, but there is still archived info there. Thankfully other forums like this one have come along and are very active currently.

I did have a school budget that allowed me to purchase AV media: VHS and later DVDs as formats changed. If that money is not available to you, or if you want to preview some materials, try here: https://smartflix.com/store/category/20/Sheetmetal

At the time there were already a few metal shaping books or books that had chapters on shaping, already on the market. They are still in print, and there have been several excellent new ones authored recently.

There is a wealth of info ideally suited for beginners on this forum, you just have to dig a bit.

As far as free print, I suggest this primer, it's been posted before, I think it's very good for students in your position: http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/feat...abrication.pdf The beginning covers forming, then it does go into basic shaping techniques around page 25 or so.

For inspiring the use of simple tools, you might show your students these short video clips:

High speed bullet train noses shaped with hand hammers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNFsbDDOPs

Another craftsman with wonderfully simple tools:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCpHhRiyuM4 it's from this thread: http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11042

As you say, youtube video searches yield almost overwhelming results, but there are many gems to be found.

A formal pdf courtesy the Iowa taxpayers:

[imaslackr]

This is fantastic info!
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to welcome me to the group. I have lots of reading ahead of me.

I am trying to breathe some life into this welding shop. It is at a private art school, where concept stressed more than craft. The pay is horrible, commute is even worse, but I love the job because once you light the fire under someone it feels really great.